Saint John

Saint John: The refugees were escaped and liberated slaves who were fleeing the United States at the end of the War of 1812 after seeking protection from the British army during the war, according to CBC. Many of the former slaves who came aboard the HMS Regulus settled around Saint John in places, such as Willow Grove, where they struggled to find food, employment, housing and acquire the land they'd been promised. The ship HMS Regulus arrived in Saint John in 1815 with 371 black men, women and children. The New Brunswick Black History Society has spent years piecing the story together and is now sharing it. But they struggled with disease, political rights, employment and acquiring the land they had been promised. "And what they were met with was they had no housing, they had no financial money to barter or wares to barter," said McCarthy. "So they were looking for land and a place to support their family." The society has been working on the story since forming five years ago and has now launched its own website where the group will post and update their findings. "So we're hoping with the website that we're going to reach more people," said McCarthy. Mary Louise McCarthy, the society president, says many of the refugees settled in communities, such as Willow Grove outside of Saint John. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.